The method and apparatus for automatically monitoring call processing transactions performed in base stations of a mobile cellular telecommunications switching system. A mobile switching center maintains a list of mobile stations whose calls are being monitored. When one of these mobile stations originates a call, or when an incoming call is received for such a mobile station, the base station originally serving the call is notified, and that base station then transmits messages recording reportable events for that mobile station. When that mobile station is handed off to another base station, the other base station receives an indication from the first base station that it is to monitor the call of that mobile station. When a base station no longer serves a mobile station that is being monitored, it clears the record that the mobile station is to be monitored from its data base. Advantageously, this arrangement has the characteristic that only base stations actually serving base stations that are being monitored, maintain a record of the base station being monitored.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. In a wireless telecommunication system comprising a MSC, (Mobile Switching Center), and a plurality of base stations, a method for obtaining call processing data for reportable events for selected mobile stations, comprising the steps of: selecting mobile stations to be monitored for said reportable events; maintaining in the MSC, indications for all the selected mobile stations served by said MSC; maintaining in a base station, an indication only for the selected mobile stations currently served by that base station; and whenever a reportable event for a selected mobile station occurs, reporting pertinent data for said reportable event to said mobile switching center; wherein said pertinent data for said reportable events comprise data not reported to said MSC by mobile stations, served by said MSC, other than said selected mobile stations.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: when a first base station hands off a call to a second base station, transmitting as part of a series of handoff messages an indication of whether a mobile station of the call being handed off is a selected mobile station.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication is stored in a base station by storing in a base station, a list of selected mobile stations served by that base station.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication is stored in a base station within a call record for said any selected mobile station selected served by that base station.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining an indication comprises the step of receiving a message set for a mobile origination from said MSC, said message set comprising an indication that said selected mobile station is to be monitored.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said indication comprises a message for requesting monitoring said selected station.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said indication comprises an indicator for requesting monitoring of said selected mobile station, that is transmitted as part of an existing one of a set of messages for requesting an origination.
8. In the wireless telecommunication system of claim 5, further comprising an operation support system, the method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of generating a request to monitor a particular mobile station in said operation support system, and transmitting said request to said MSC.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: responsive to receipt of a request for originating a call from, or terminating a call to, a mobile station on said list, transmitting a request to a base station serving said origination or termination, to monitor said call.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: when said second base station hands off a call to another base station, transmitting as part of a series of hand-off messages an indication of whether a mobile station of the call being handed-off is a selected mobile station; and if the mobile station of said call being handed off is a selected mobile station, reporting pertinent data for reportable events from said third base station; wherein said third base station may be, but need not be, said first base station.
11. In a wireless telecommunication system comprising a MSC, (Mobile Switching Center), and a plurality of base stations, apparatus for obtaining call processing data for reportable events for selected mobile stations, comprising: in base stations of said system, processor means for performing the following operations: maintaining in a base station, an indication only for selected mobile stations served by that base station; and whenever a reportable event for a selected mobile station occurs, reporting pertinent data for said reportable event to said mobile switching center; in said MSC, processor means for performing the following operations: selecting mobile stations to be monitored for said reportable events; and maintaining in said MSC, indications for all selected stations served by said MSC; wherein said pertinent data for said reportable events comprise data not reported to said MSC by mobile stations, served by said MSC, other than said selected mobile stations.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said processor means further performs the following operation: when said base station hands off a call to another base station, transmitting as part of a series of hand-off messages an indication of whether a mobile station of the call being handed off is a selected mobile station.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said indication is stored in a base station by storing in a base station, a list of selected mobile stations served by that base station.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said indication is stored in a base station within a call record for said any selected mobile station selected served by that base station.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operation of maintaining an indication comprises the operation of receiving a message set for a mobile origination from said MSC, said message set comprising an indication that said selected mobile station is to be monitored.
16. The operation of claim 15, wherein said indication comprises a message for requesting monitoring said selected station.
17. The operation of claim 15, wherein said indication comprises an indicator for requesting monitoring of said selected mobile station, that is transmitted as part of an existing one of a set of messages for requesting an origination.
18. In the wireless telecommunication system of claim 15, further comprising an operation support system, wherein said operation support system generates a request to monitor a particular mobile station in said operation support system, and transmits said request to said MSC.
19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said processor means further performs the following operation: responsive to receipt of a request for originating a call from, or terminating a call to, a mobile station on said list, transmitting a request to a base station serving said origination or termination, to monitor said call.
20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said processor means further performs the following operations: when said base station hands off a call to another base station, transmitting as part of a series of hand-off messages an indication of whether a mobile station of the call being handed off is a selected mobile station; wherein if the mobile station of said call being handed off is a selected mobile station, reporting pertinent data for reportable events from said another base station.
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January 8, 1999
July 17, 2001
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